Firearm butt stock



May 14 1946. M. M. JOHNSON, JR

FIREARM BUTT STOCK Filed Aug. 4, 1944 Patented May 14, 1946 unirse;

Johnson, Jr., andEdward E. Rice, Boston, Mass.,` as trustees of JohnsonPatent Trust, Boston` Mass.

Application August 4, 1944, vSerial No. 548,042

(Cl. 42h-'71) 2 Claims.

This invention relatesrto riiies and the like small firearms, such, forexample, as are shown in my prior Patents Nos. 2,094,156 and 2,215,470,granted September 28, 193'? and September 24, 1940, respectively.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a rie having a buttportion which is so designed as to provide not only a housing for themain spring but also a cleaning or service kit, and which may be quicklyand easily dismembered for Vcleaning or repair, and readily reassembledfor` use.

Further objects relate to various features of construction and will beapparent from a consideration of the following descriptionl and ac.

companying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation oi a rifle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the butt end of the rifle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the butt plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch member for locking the buttplate in closed position.

The particular embodimentY of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration is a rifle of the reciprocating barrel type, comprising abarrel I having its inner end portion slidably mounted within a receiver2 and an adjoining radiator sleeve 3. The receiver and associated partscarry the operating mechanism, including a trigger 4, trigger guard 5,and a pistol grip 6 which depends from its under surface. The rear ofthe receiver is connected in the manner hereinafter described with thebutt portion assembly comprising a pair of tubular members 8 and 9, theuppermost of which provides a housing for the main spring H (Fig. 4),and the outer end of these tubes support the butt or shoulder member I0.The construction of the receiver, the operating mechanism and associatedparts, may be substantially the same as is shown in the aforementionedPatent No. 2,215,470 to which reference may be had for a more detaileddescription.

The outer end of the receiver 2 is formed with threaded apertures l5 andI6 which receive coupling members I'l and I8, and the inner end of aperforate main spring tube 20 is brazed or otherwise secured to thecoupling member l1.

The upper tubular member 8 snugly ts aboutthe tube 20, and the inner endof the lower tubular member 9 has a threaded engagement with thecoupling I8, as shown in Fig. 4. The outer end of the main spring Ilacts against a plug 22'which fits within the projecting end of the tube20, the inner end of theplug being formed with an inwardly extendingneck 23 which maintains the spring Il properly centered. The outer endof the lower tubular member 9 is threaded to hollow coupling 25 whichnot only provides an extension but also a means for securing thering-like upper end of the rear sling swivel assembly 26 permanently inposition.l

A rectangular plate member 3E is juxtaposed to the ends of the tubularmembers 8 and 9 and is formed.` with spaced circular openings throughwhich the projecting outer ends of the tube 20 and coupling 25 extend.Alocking pin 3l extends transversely through openings formed in thesides of the plate 30, the end portion of the tube 20 and the plug 22 soas tolock 'these parts against relative rotation.v The upper end of theplate 30 is formed with a transverse lug or raised portion 32, and itslower end is formed witha latch abutment 33 of approximatelysemihexagonal cross-section, which abutment extends below the coupling25. A pair of locking rings 35 and 3l, each formed withcircumferentially spaced radially extending slots 38, are threaded onthe ends of the tubeZD and coupling 25, respectively, and servetomaintain the parts in assembled relation. A removable pin 40, passingthrough opposite slots in the upper ring 36 and a radially extendingopening in the end of the plug 22, projects into one of the slots in thelower ring 31 and thus insures against accidental loosening of thelocking rings. The main spring tube and its contained parts are thuseiectively sealed, but it will be noted that the outer end of the lowertubular member 9 is free from obstructions so as to permit access to itsinterior which provides a built-in compartment or kit C adapted toreceive tools, cleaning equipment or the like.

A butt plate comprising a main shell or cap 45 and a closure member 46fits about the aforementioned parts, the upper end of the cap 45 beingpivotally connected by a pin or rivet 48 to the lug 32, as shown in Fig.4, so that the cap 45 may be swung clockwise about the pivot pin 48clear of the outer ends of the tubes 8 and 9, thereby to permit accessto these parts. The cap 45 is provided with an outer Wall having acurvature suitable to iit the shoulder, and the lower portions of itsside walls receive the inwardly projecting ears formed on the side wallsof the closure shell 46, these parts being secured together by spacedrivets 5l) and 5I which project through aligned openings in the walls. Arivet 52, extending from one side wall of the cap 45 to the oppositeside wall, provides a stop engageable with the latch-abutment 33 whichlimits the swinging movement of the butt plate in a counterclockwisedirection.

-A latch vmember 55 (Fig. 5) is slidably mounted on the bottom wall ofthe closure shell 4'6, the latch being formed at its inner end with alocking nose 56 which has a sliding t between the rivet 5|! and thebottom Wall. latch is formed with a longitudinally extending opening 5lwhich receives a coil compression.

spring 58, and the outer end of the latch is formed with a transverselyextending slot. 59 through which the rivet 5| passes. against the rivet5I so as to urge the latch 55 upwardly into engagement with thelatch-abutment 33, the rivets 50 and 5| providing guiding members forthe latch in its movement to and from locking position, as shown in Fig.4. The construction and arrangement of parts are such that when the cap45 swings in a counterclockwise direction from open position, the nose56 of the latch, striking the beveled surface of the latch-abutment 33,is rst retracted and then snaps into locking position to hold the caprmly locked in closed position, as shown in Fig. 4.

The bottom or outer wall 0f the shell 48 is formed with an elongateopening 60, andthe body of the latch is also formed with an opening 6ladapted to receive the bullet end of a cartridge or the like implementwhen inserted through the opening 60, the parts being so designed thatwhen the latch is in locking position, the opening 6| is at the upperend of the opening 60. YWith this construction and arrangement, thebullet end of The spring 58 actsY a cartridge may be easily insertedthroughY the opening "60 so as to retract the latch 55, therebydisengaging the locking nose 56 from abutment 33 and permitting the buttplate assembly to be swung outwardly in a clockwise direction to secureaccess to the kit C and/or preparatory to dismembering the parts forcleaning or repair.

It will be noted that the cap 45 and shell'dG cooperate with the `plate30 and associated parts not only to, provide aVv complete closure forthe compartment. C,whichrclosu're Vmay be quickly and convenientlyopened, but also a butt mem-v ber which is of light weight and yet ofstrong and durable construction.

While I have shown and described different desirable embodiments of theinvention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for thepurpose of illustration, and that various changes in shape, proportionandarrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalentelements for those t herein shown and described, may be made withl0` Thebody portion of the' i out departing from the spirit and Scope of the'present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1'. A `butt, stock construction for a rifle, comprising a receiverhaving a. barrelA projected from one end, a plurality of tubular membersproject'- ing from the opposite end of the receiver, one of said tubularmembers housing themain operating spring for the rie and anotherproviding a compartment or kit, a plate member fitting about they outerend portions of said tubular rmembers with its lower end extending belowsaid` tubular members' and providinga latch abutment,a cap-like buttplate pivotallyconnected to the upper end of said plate member andarranged so as to swing toward and away from the end of` said tubularmember to provide a closure therefor, and a latch vcarried by said buttplate and engageable with said latch abutment for releasably lockingsaid butt plate in closed position.

2. A butt stock construction for a riiie,V comprising a receiver havinga barrel projected from one end, a pair of tubular members projectingfrom the opposite end of the receiver and arranged one abovethe other,the upper tubular member housing the main spring for the Vrifle and thelower tubular member providing a compartrnentor kit, a plate membertting about the outer ends of said tubular members with its lower endextending below the lower tubular` member and providing a latchvabutment, a, cap-like butt plate pivotally connected to the upper end ofsaid plate member and arranged so as to swing toward and away from theend of said tubular member to provide a closure therefor, and alatchcarried by said butt plate and engageable with said latch abutmentfor releasably locking said butt plate in closed position. Y f c YMELVIN M. JOHNSON, JR;

